Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-12
MYSTERIOUS BEING.
A Strange Behaving Character Inter-
viewed by an Argus Reporter


A Strange Behaving Character Inter-
viewed by an argus Reporter
Who WAS H%s
He was sitting at the base of the
electric light tower at the corner of
Fourth avenue and Twenty-second street.
1t was few minutes before IL o'clt ok
last night and to all appearances he Was
chronic tramp. His face wore an
emaciated and consumptive expression.
and when accosted by u curious ARGUS
reporter. was groaning as if in deep
physical or mental agony. Upon being
asked by the man after news. if anything
could be done to relieve him, he ceased
moaning, and with look of scOrn, re
9uested the reporter in tones more inns
perative than polite. to please move along
and attend to his own business. The
strangers looks were not altogether in
viting. and the scribe involuntarily START
ed to comply with the request without
further argument. thinking that he had
put his foot in it this time, and the quick>
est way out was the best. Then, with a
mysterious chuckle, the strange acting
being commanded:
Hold on; may have been little
rough in answering you. when | have no
doubt that you were prompted by kind
| motives in accosting me. | Can assure
you upon the honor of one who has been
gentleman in his day, that do not need
| your assistance in any way, and to further
assure you of this, see here" and forth
with he pulled from his inside vest pocket
a large roll of bills, to what number the
reporter could not say. but there were
fives and tens and twenties in the bundle.
| With sort of mechanical motion he re
turned the roll of greenbacks to his peck
ct and slowly aad with considerable effort
arose to his feet. He appeared to be a
little above the medium height. ordiua>
rily well attired and of good address
His manner of talking was, as he made
further gestures and statements, refined
agreeable and intelligent. Said he, APP
proaching closer to the reporter:
Il am going to leave this country to
night for foreign parts. | am gong tc
leave this land and people and country
forever. In two weeks more old ocear
surprised at what am telling you and
perhaps you would like to know WIN
town. won't tell you exactly where,
was nurlured in years past by fond ant
loving mother, helped ON to better an,
nober things than are generally found il
this world by mother father aud two de
voted sisters. | was an only son, an Onl,
brother, was my parents joy. my sisters
pride, and thank God as | stand befor
You stranger as you are to night. | hav
never done one thing to cast reflection q
dishonor on those loved ones of wear
ago, but time has come when mus
look to the future, which has always bee
bright and promising, with regrets that
had ever been born Yes, it may shoe
you, but | curse the day that gave m
birth. No it was not love affair, if tbs
is the question YOU are about to ask, fC
cupid has pever tempered with me. al
a bachelor with no thoughts of msrriag
| am thirty-eight years of age, and hav
reached this stage in my life without b,
ing bothered with that sensation the
call love"
cit is fact that many prominent me
in your city know me, but they do II
know that | am in the city, nor will lht
ever know it." At this juncture. Il
stranger became sad again, and spoke
his inevitable state OF mind, resultil
from hidden causes, he said, that won
turn the brain of any man ON earth. al
that feeling was demonstrated as t
tears rolled down his cheeks. Aft
asking the reporter when the next ira
started for Chicago on the c.. R. l. & |
and being told that by fastening he cou
catch the late east bound train;
thanked the reporter, said good nigh
and hurried off up the avenue.
Even the reporter was touched by t
peculiar narrative and determined to I
it in print.